Browning Hi-Power

There seems to be a lot of interest in the Browning Hi-Power here recently so I thought I'd show off the one I bought a few days ago. The S/N dated it to 1965. (T145xxx) I got no idea what it's been used for but it looks as if it's seen some action somewhere along the line. It has a very nice trigger, in spite of still having the magazine disconnect intact. I won't mess with it. It's not to be a carry gun or anything. Just something to have.





I cleaned it up a little bit with Flitz and Ren wax, then swabbed the barrel and oiled it. Just a well worn old work horse.

Does look like it might have served with the Wild Geese in Africa in the 60s...

I have a secret love for the HP..... but don't like to carry cocked and locked.....so I don't carry one often..... IIRC mec-gar makes a 15 round flush fit magazine for the HP

Looks like a perfect shooter grade...... woods carry gun...... hammer back, small safety off and chamber empty ..... Israelis ''preferred" method

Take it out and shoot it, one of the classic all time great 9mm service pistol's IMO. I own several, two bone stock and two custom pistols built to my spec's. The Hi Power is "best of breed" in my book.

Hi powers

Nice old "T" series. I have had the Hi-Power affliction for years. Here's the current stable ( my '67 "T" series is on the left)

I do want one of those, preferable a new model. They have been discontinued.

I just can't justify getting one since I already have a CZ 75B in a special edition brushed stainless. The CZ seems to fill the 'role' of the P35, so it would be unecessary.

American1776 said:

I do want one of those, preferable a new model. They have been discontinued.

I just can't justify getting one since I already have a CZ 75B in a special edition brushed stainless. The CZ seems to fill the 'role' of the P35, so it would be unecessary.

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I want a BHP too. But in my case I'd prefer an older version (thumbprint on the slide and internal extractor). I'll get there hopefully.

American1776 said:

I do want one of those, preferable a new model. They have been discontinued.

I just can't justify getting one since I already have a CZ 75B in a special edition brushed stainless. The CZ seems to fill the 'role' of the P35, so it would be unecessary.

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I have and like a CZ75B........... but you really need a HP.....there's just something about that 80 year old design, when you hold it in your hand!!!!

I wish I would have known about the HP before I got my Beretta 9mm. My love of vintage blue steel would have been fulfilled in a semi auto. Alas, I didn't know about them, and I don't need anymore 9mms, or semi autos for that matter.

Still admire the HPs and maybe one day I will grab one. Really are nice looking gun and well built. You can tell that just by looking at them.

iPac said:

I wish I would have known about the HP before I got my Beretta 9mm. My love of vintage blue steel would have been fulfilled in a semi auto. Alas, I didn't know about them, and I don't need anymore 9mms, or semi autos for that matter.

Still admire the HPs and maybe one day I will grab one. Really are nice looking gun and well built. You can tell that just by looking at them.

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The love for vintage blue steel in 9mm starts well before the first BHP came out of the production line.

OLDSTER said:

Nice old "T" series. I have had the Hi-Power affliction for years. Here's the current stable ( my '67 "T" series is on the left)

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I just have 1, and its a 67 or 68 T series, that my Dad wanted when he worked for MACVSOG... Two of the MACV operators loaded two cases of FN High Powers on the Combat Talon 1..

They were completely "clean", no serials or anything,,, the two young gents said to my Dad, "Take a couple of those Major, we'll never miss em, we use em, drop em and run like Hell!

MACV operators did NOT have a good prognosis for survival in that awful bloody mess..

They used suppressed Hi Standards and Ruger Auto's for sentry suppression...

My Dad, Mr. Straight Arrow,,, told them thanks you, he prolly better not, but later in life bought a Browning BDM for fun around the farm,, he picked off rats on the pig and cattle feeders for fun!

anyway, he continued to carry his M2 and Colt Cobra, but longed for a nice High Power... yesterday was his birthday, he's been gone 15 years.

BillyMagg said:

I just have 1, and its a 67 or 68 T series, that my Dad wanted when he worked for MACVSOG... Two of the MACV operators loaded two cases of FN High Powers on the Combat Talon 1..

They were completely "clean", no serials or anything,,, the two young gents said to my Dad, "Take a couple of those Major, we'll never miss em, we use em, drop em and run like Hell!

MACV operators did NOT have a good prognosis for survival in that awful bloody mess..

They used suppressed Hi Standards and Ruger Auto's for sentry suppression...

My Dad, Mr. Straight Arrow,,, told them thank you, he prolly better not, but later in life bought a Browning BDM for fun around the farm,, he picked off rats on the pig and cattle feeders for fun!

anyway, he continued to carry his M2 and Colt Cobra, but longed for a nice High Power... yesterday was his birthday, he's been gone 15 years.

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I did find him a stone Mint Colt Cobra, that had formerly been the night stand gun of the Police Chief of Peoria, Illinois.. its still a beauty.

I know its an overused cliche, but if that gun could talk I'd pour a beer and sit and listen. Very nice. I'd rather have a gun that has spent its time doing gun things than one that sat in a box in a safe for a few decades.




I have but one Hi-Power. I carry it in Barsony IWB holster, no belt, no spare mag. There is something about the shape of a Hi-Power that just lends it to IWB carry.




I passed on a well used FEG clone last week that was in a pile of traded in evidence guns. If its still there tomorrow I may just pick it up.

sigp220.45 said:

I know its an overused cliche, but if that gun could talk I'd pour a beer and sit and listen. Very nice. I'd rather have a gun that has spent its time doing gun things than one that sat in a box in a safe for a few decades.

I have but one Hi-Power. I carry it in Barsony IWB holster, no belt, no spare mag. There is something about the shape of a Hi-Power that just lends it to IWB carry.

I passed on a well used FEG clone last week that was in a pile of traded in evidence guns. If its still there tomorrow I may just pick it up.

Click to expand...

Now that is a good looking firearm. None of that brand new nonsense! I have a similar looking Sig 226 from the 80s. Eventually I want to add a well used Beretta 92 and a Hipower like that

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sigp220.45 said:

I know its an overused cliche, but if that gun could talk I'd pour a beer and sit and listen. Very nice. I'd rather have a gun that has spent its time doing gun things than one that sat in a box in a safe for a few decades.

I have but one Hi-Power. I carry it in Barsony IWB holster, no belt, no spare mag. There is something about the shape of a Hi-Power that just lends it to IWB carry.

I passed on a well used FEG clone last week that was in a pile of traded in evidence guns. If its still there tomorrow I may just pick it up.

Click to expand...

SWEEeeeet set up; inspired by Serpico (1973)........ no doubt!!!!!!

My BHP is the favorite of all the guns I own, and ironically the one I paid the least for.

Best pistol I have ever owned. Great fit and finish. Exceptionally nice shooter too.

Here are mine that I acquired recently.....so much talk about them going away I figured I better get them before it was too late.


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First pistol I ever purchased for myself. Still own it. Many others have come and gone, it will stay until my son inherits it. Outstanding weapon, fits my hand like it was made for it, and most accurate non-target weapon I own.

My New Mark III Hi-Power: Function and Simplicity

I've spent the past two years having a Hi-Power built; it was delivered two days ago. My guiding principles were functionality and simplicity. The photos below show the result.

The factory barrel was replaced with a Bar-Sto barrel machined with a 1:16 twist rate. The factory barrels come with a 1:10 twist, and the smith who worked on this part of the project felt that the slower twist rate would do a better job of stabilizing the 115 grain bullets this pistol is designed to shoot, and thus improve accuracy and reduce group sizes. The Bar-Sto was installed and re-crowned.

The front sight was replaced with a SCG dovetailed post sight featuring a gold bead and calibrated at 25 yards. The factory rear sight was replaced with a set of low mount adjustable Novak's.

I wanted the left side thumb safety improved, and a small paddle was shaped using the existing metal. It's not too wide, but provides a very positive point of contact when transitioning to Condition Zero.

In my effort to reduce or hopefully eliminate snags and hang-ups while drawing and presenting the pistol, we replaced the factory spur hammer with a C&S Commander low-mount hammer. This, with the thumb safety, and the decision not to install an (for me) unnecessary beavertail makes the rear of the pistol as clutter-free and anti-snag as possible, I believe. The desire to minimize the likelihood of snags and hang-ups also drove the decision not to checker the grip frame's front- and backstraps.

Of course, a trigger job was required. The magazine disconnect safety was removed, and a C&S improved sear bar was installed. Other fitting and polishing plus these steps has resulted in a sweet 4.5 pound trigger that feels lighter, has zero creep, and breaks like a glass rod. I can't believe the difference between the awful "crunchenticker" the pistol came with and the crisp trigger the pistol has now that lets me easily break the shot without disturbing the sight picture. It is extremely conducive to fast, accurate follow-up shots as well.

The knife-sharp edges on the front of the trigger guard and the bottom of the magazine well were gently beveled, facilitating smoother reloads and improved general pistol handling. We had stripped the black paint off the gun at the beginning of the project so that the metal could be worked in the white. When the metalwork was done, we blued the pistol, with only the flats on the slide receiving a high polish and the rest of the pistol a nice matte finish.

Finally, Craig Spegel made up a pair of his thin grips in Macassar ebony using as dark a wood with as little figuring as he could find. Macassar ebony is very hard, and the points on the fine diamonds Craig so carefully made will not blunt easily. I think these dark, sharply checkered, but slick, grips carry through the principles of functionality and simplicity that guided my whole approach to building this pistol. After I wring it out, it will become my daily carry pistol.

Credit for the front sight, the barrel work, and the modified thumb safety go to a local gunsmith here in Virginia. The rest of the work, except the grips of course, was done by Mike at Novak's in Parkersburg, West Virginia. He is a gentleman and a professional in every sense of the word and brings to this work a deep appreciation and understanding of the P-35, the Browning Hi-Power, or, as the French call it, Le Grande Puissance.

I have to do some more testing, but it appears that the pistol, using standard pressure 115 JHP ammunition (Federal 9BP), will shoot just fine. The test target was fired with that ammo at 25 yards out of a Ransom Rest. The shot in the center of the bull was the first "seating" shot. The other six were fired consecutively into a group that is just a hair under 2-1/2 inches.